Gear case assembly



Aug. 8, 1950 A. G. NICKLE GEAR CASE ASSEMBLY Filed April 27, 1945 mum/A FIE-Ii. 1-

G- 8 mvmon ATTORNEY.

FIG. :3 BY

l/ db l/u Patented Aug. 8, 1950 i 2,;517,9I-3 CA SEMBM Arthur GrNickle, SaginawfMidh.

implication Apr "237 6 Claims- This invention relates to agear-case ass mbly for machines thatemploy a plurality of horizon- :tal shafts :that are made .coacting by means of intermeshing gears, such means being enclosed in-a ghousing lthat isvadaptedto retain --lubricating oil. lire-objects andadvantages of the invention will beappa-rent from thefollowing detailed deseription-madewith reference to the accompanying drawing.

; In :the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view with pants broken away and with-other ,par-ts -in cross-section showing a gear-case assembly-in-which my invention is embodied.

Fig. 2 is a :front-leleuational view of thegearcase assembly with parts-broken away.

Fig. 3 is "a front elevational view similar to Fig. .2.having partsibrokenaway to expose one of the shaft bearings.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary ;-enlarged sectional view showing how the flanged gear-case cover is secured to the backxwall thereof.

Fig.5 is a enlarged fragmentary.sectional view taken approximately on line 5;-..',5 of Fig. .2.

Fig. 6 isa crossesectionalielevational,view talren approximately on :line 1a6e6 .Qf Fig. 3, ,and showin a threaded :plug disassembled "from the :gearcase.

Referring to the drawing:

The numeral it] indicates :the vertical wall :of a processing chamber or the frame of a machine structure that supports a plurality of flanged bearing structures .1! in which-the shafts t2 "are journaled. The bearing structures have inner ,and outer ball races t3 and 14 respectively,.and :each bearing structure .is secured independently J-to the machine structure by a plurality .of bolts I5, the threaded ends 16 of the bolts being :preferably pointed outward .with respect to the ma chine structure. The shafts are made coacting by intermeshi-ng-gears 1-1 secured thereto by gibhead taper machine keys -l-8. 1

The gears l 'l are surro-undedby a'housing that comprises a dish-shaped cover I9 formed with a flange 20 that seats against the vvertical back plate 2] to form an oil-tight joint that permits the lowerportion of the casingto be ,used .as a reservoir for the lubricating oil 22 xinto which .the

.gearteethdip as the gears aredriven. Thezback plateZl is apertured as at 23 to assemble .over

thethreaded ends it or bearingbolts IE, it being secured thereto in oil-tight relation by nuts ;24

which-tension the bolts.- The back plate isheld inspaeedrelation fromithe bearing structure 2| l by tubular separators 25 or theequivalentwhioh surround the bearing boltsband are preferably in threaded engagement therewith.

Seated in the spacebetween'the back plate 2! and the adjacent endofeach bearing structure -isa ringgasket 26 made of compressible anatelial .an adaote o-acxqlufl dus and t i m the bearing races. H

Each shaft n oie ts --Q .1,tward y thr ug a opening 23 .in the back plate without frictional 5 contact. The meansernployed to-preventesca e of oilthroughrthershaftqopening 21 comprises the dish-shapedrotaryflinger, associated with the annulareutterlfi. thatesurrounds the sh t openng 1. the in de .of the -.baok plate. The gutter 1219 ;is preferably .die donned integral with-the back plate, the marginal edge 30 i-beingflared so that oil splashed against .the back plate by the rotating parts within theicasing zwilldrainidown a d y e ty wi hout any tendency to es a e :threugh rthe shaftwmming.

.Iheqil flinger -28 .is mountedpn theshaft ad Ja-eent to the ba k :nlate. an s dr ven b ii rtional 'contact with the shaft, ithe hub 3;! being extended to seat. against the -;adjacent .end of the inner b ar i a e d3. itherebysnac n the ma ina -ed 1-31 of the .fi'n e a ip r d erm edld .tan e ,t-frem the --.b.acl, zte- Th :fl nse ma dish shaped so a "to rorerlap the marginal 1 edg 30 of the gutter with suflicient clearance at ;3,3

to perm t e1 collect n an the z-insid of :the .fiing-er .,to.be-.,cen gally- ;discha-sged inaan.angue {the back plate e sqrews retur edrt d ewrthevhackrplate a ain the co e fla zsc- J mswmet odeofmaki g an oil-tight joint n tto lyrsa ies -the ;cost of-prethr adin {a flange number e ho es n :the back .-p1atc 1ro it pe m -th us -inf relatir lr'zthin ,-m ta1-. ac w nut-nah metal as readily die-formed toprodufietheyeutter.aroundztheshaft ooe ines.=as.-ah r :setd th- 5 .The gearacase waver 1.8 is made of roast :iron

an s me re ss a i 4 3 5 85 Mil e ns; his rclosedbyrth plug .0 -.oi1 is (introduced into the ea in :iflhis open n ralsoisew saa a roverflpwvth rprev ntsth dn r dnction 10f :amexcess ,of goil ginto the casing. gEor this ,reason ,theopening :iSj1Qp rtfidat%a predeter- -:mined-.e1evation that preverrtsthe oil flingerffrom -dipping -into the rreservoir ffl v. il. .,O therwi se,-the b e t of the oil fl' neer w nldrheidefeated.

What I claim is:

1. In the combination that includes a machine having a plurality. of horizontal shafts made coacting. by .interrneshinggears, a flanged bearing in which each shaft is journaled, means for securing the bearing flange to the machine structure, said means being a plurality of threaded bolts in apertured engagement therewith, a housing surrounding the gears in spaced relation with the machine structure, an opening in the back wall of the housing through which each shaft projects in non-frictional relation, and means for supporting the housing in, said relation to the ma chine structure and shafts, said means being the threaded bolts in" apertured engagement with back wall of said housing.

2. In thecombination that includes a machine having a plurality of horizontal shafts made coa cting by intermeshing gears, a flanged bearing structure in which each shaft is journaled, a two-piece housing surrounding the gears and adapted to contain a limited'volume'of oil into which thegearteeth dip when the shafts rotate, said housing comprisinga dish-shaped cover that is removably attached to a back wall plate in oiltight relation, opening in the back wall plate through Whicheach "shaft projects in non-oiltight relation, means for preventing the escape of oil through the shaft opening in the back wall plate; common mean-star securing the back wall plate and the flangedbearing structure to the machine structure, said means being a plurality of threaded'bolts 'in' apertured engagement with the bearing flanges and the back wall plate, and

means for securing the dished cover to the back Wall plate, said means being a plurality of selfthreading screws'in apertured engagement therewith.

3. In thecombination that includes a machine having a plurality of horizontal shafts made coacting by intermeshin g gears, a flanged bearing structure in which each shaft is 'journaled, means in apertured engagement with each bearing flange for securingit to the machine'structu're, said means being a plurality of bolts having threaded ends that project beyond the outer face of the bearing flange, a housing surrounding the gears and adapted to contain a limited volume of oil into which the gear teeth dip when theshafts rotate, an opening in the back wall of the housing through which each shaft projects in non-liquid-tight relation, means for supporting the back wall of the housing in spaced relation from the bearing structure, said means including the projecting ends of the bearing flange bolts in apertured engagement with the said back wall, and closure means for the space between the back wall and the end of the bearing, said means being a ring gasket of compressible material;

4. In a machineincluding a plurality of horizontal shafts made coacting by intermes'hing gears mounted thereon, a flanged bearing in which each shaft is journaled', means for detachably securing the bearing flanges to the machine for limiting the maximum height of the oil level to an elevation that is lower than the shaft openings in the back wall, .an oil-receiving gutter formed on' the inside of the back wall and surrounding each shaft opening, said gutter being adapted to return oil by gravity to the reservoir when such oil is splashed upon the back wall by the rotating elements within the housing, and means cooperating with the gutter and in overlapping, non-frictional relation therewith for preventing escape of oil through the shaft opening, said means being a dished oil flinger mounted on the shaft between the gear and the back wall for rotation without dipping below the level of the oil in the reservoir.

5. In a machine including a plurality of horizontal shafts made coacting by intermeshin gears mounted thereon, a flanged bearing in which each shaft is journaled, means for detachably-securing the bearing flanges to the machine structure, a housing surrounding the gears and having a back wall which is axially spaced therefrom, means for detachably securing the back wall to the bearing flanges in spaced relation therefrom, an opening in the back wall through which each shaft projects to engage the bearing in which it is journaled, the shaft and all elements mounted thereon within the confines of the housing being rotatable without contact with a stationary element, a reservoir in the housing which contains oil into which the teeth on the several gears dip when the shafts rotate, means for limiting the maximum elevation of the oil level, a dished flinger disk mounted on each shaft for rotation between the gear and the back Wall, said disk being adapted to centrifugally fling oil collecting thereon or therein angularly towards the back wall, and stationary means supported by the back wall for preventing the oil flung against the back wall from escaping through the opening in said wall, the said means being an oilreceiving gutter surrounding the shaft and adapted to return oil to the reservoir which oil would otherwise escape through the shaft open- 6. The combination as cited in claim 5 wherein the means for limiting the maximum elevation of the oil level in the reservoir is an oil inlet in the housing, the said inlet being positioned at an elevation which will cause it to overflow before the oil level reaches the lowermost part of the oil flinger.

- ARTHUR G. NICKLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

